Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders commonly present to our Geelong chiropractors and TMJ therapists, that can cause significant discomfort and disrupt daily activities, affecting the jaw, face, and even the neck and shoulders. The TMJ is a crucial hinge connecting the jawbone to the skull, enabling essential functions like talking, chewing, and yawning. When this joint becomes problematic, it can lead to pain, limited movement, and a host of other symptoms. TMJ therapy aims to alleviate these issues and restore normal function. Here’s a brief overview of what TMJ therapy involves.

In this article, our Geelong chiropractor & TMJ therapist, Dr Luka Fantela, will discuss TMJ pain, how it is assessed, and the treatment options available.

Dry needling is a growing treatment modality used in the management of an array of musculoskeletal conditions. At Empowered Health Chiropractic, our Geelong-based TMJ chiropractors utilise dry needling in the treatment of TMJ disorders, often involving the muscles of the jaw, face & skull.

In this post, our Geelong chiropractor Luka, will discuss some of the several benefits dry needling can have.

TMJ pain, symptoms or collectively known as TMJ disorders, can commonly affect the muscles and joints of the face, head & jaw. While some conditions can involve both the muscles and joints, here is a quick go-to guide to differentiate between a more muscular, or more joint TMJ issue.

In this article, our resident Geelong TMJ chiropractor Dr Luka, will discuss some of the common features we might see with each condition.

The temporomandibular joint (otherwise referred to as TMJ) is a common area of complaint our Geelong TMJ chiropractors often experience. The TMJs are the two joints comprised of muscles, ligaments and discs, that connect your jaw to your skull.

At Empowered Health Chiropractic, our experienced TMJ chiropractors understand the importance of a personalised treatment approach in managing the complexity of TMJ disorders, as no two jaw issues are the same.

In this blog post, our TMJ chiropractor Luka will highlight 5 facts you may not know about the TMJ.

Your posture, and more notably, your head, neck and upper back posture can affect your TMJ in a number of ways. When you hold your head forward, it can place extra strain on the muscles and ligaments in your neck, head and jaw. What our TMJ chiropractors often see, that over time this can lead to pain, clicking or popping noises, and difficulty chewing.

In this blog post, our Geelong chiropractor for TMJ, Dr Luka, will discuss the consequences of poor posture on the TMJ and some strategies you can implement right away.

Here are some of the ways that head and neck posture can affect your TMJ:

• Increased muscle tension: When you hold your head forward, it puts extra strain on the muscles in your neck and jaw. This can lead to increases in muscle tension, which can cause pain, limit jaw movements and make it difficult to chew.
• Impaired joint function: When you hold your head forward, it can put stress on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is the joint that connects your jaw to your skull. This can lead to impaired joint function, which can cause inflammation, pain, clicking or popping noises, and difficulty chewing.

At Empowered Health Chiropractic, our experienced TMJ chiropractors incorporate a multi-modal approach to managing a range of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, from acute flare ups to chronic joint and disc conditions.

Our Geelong chiropractors can help with TMJ disorders by:

• Improving jaw joint mechanics. This can help to reduce pain and improve function.
• Releasing muscle tension. This can help to reduce pain and improve range of motion.
• Improving posture. This can help to reduce stress on the jaw joint.
• Educating patients about TMJ disorders and how to manage their symptoms. This can help patients to take control of their condition and improve their quality of life.

Our TMJ chiropractors take a safe and effective treatment approach for TMJ disorders. Our approach is non-invasive and does not require surgery or medication. Our chiropractic care can help to reduce pain, improve function, and improve quality of life for people with TMJ disorders.

Dry needling is a type of treatment that involves inserting thin, sterile needles into specific points in the body. It is a strategy our Geelong TMJ chiropractors often use to treat muscle pain and other conditions, including temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

TMJ disorders affect the temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that connects your jaw to your skull. It can cause a variety of symptoms, including pain, clicking or popping noises, and difficulty chewing.

Dry needling is thought to help with TMJ pain by releasing muscle tension and inflammation. When the needles are inserted into the affected muscles, they can relief muscle tension and promote better muscle function. Dry needling can also help to improve blood flow to the affected area, which can also help to reduce pain and inflammation.

A study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association found that dry needling was effective in reducing pain and improving function in people with TMJ disorders. The study participants who received dry needling reported a significant decrease in pain and an improvement in their ability to chew after just four treatments.

At Empowered Health Chiropractic in Geelong, our TMJ chiropractors understand the importance of incorporating exercises & rehab within the overall management of TMJ-related conditions.

Supporting our manual therapy strategies with home-based exercises not only enhances treatment outcomes, but also creates self autonomy and independence in managing TMJ-related problems in the future. Essentially, our Geelong TMJ chiropractors want to give our clients the tools and strategies to get back on track and keep themselves there in the future.

The best part, most of the exercises for the TMJ don’t require fancy equipment, gym memberships or take a considerable amount of time to perform. In saying that, our TMJ chiropractors often prescribe small bouts of specific TMJ exercises dispersed throughout the day.

In this blog, our TMJ chiropractor Luka, will demonstrate three types of exercises specific for the TMJ.

If you would like to discuss your specific TMJ issue with out team, please call (03) 4250 9865 or book an appointment online here.

Jaw clenching or grinding, otherwise known as bruxism, can be a common yet problematic issue when managing TMJ and facial pain. Bruxism can be further distinguished as sleep bruxism, awake bruxism and non-specified bruxism. In order to effectively relieve and manage jaw clenching or grinding, we must initially understand the underlying cause of the behaviour. At an individual level, certain personality traits, such as those with high stress sensitivity or anxious traits, are more likely to develop TMJ pain associated with bruxism.

While bruxism can be chacterised as clenching our teeth during the day or grinding our teeth during our sleep, these behaviours are clearly an effect or output of a wound up or heightened state of nervous system activity. For example, have you ever noticed when you are under significant stress, no matter the origin, that you find yourself more likely to clench, hold tension through your jaw, neck or shoulders?

In summary, it’s important to understand this concept, teeth or jaw clenching and grinding is likely an output or an effect of a heightened central nervous system state. In order to effectively manage it, the underlying nervous system state needs to be considered in the overall management. This is why our Geelong TMJ chiropractors take a holistic and comprehensive approach to the assessment, diagnosis and management of TMJ disorders related to grinding and clenching.